Improvement in seed-planters



- UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JAMES H. ALEXANDER, OF 'DECATUR, ILLINOIS, ADMINISTRATOR OF THE ESTATE OF THOMAS K. ALEXANDER.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEED-PLANTERS.

Spccilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 52,635, dated lfcbruary 13, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that THOMAS K. ALEXANDER, formerly of Decatur, in the county of Macon' State ot' Illinois, (now deceased,) did during his lifetime invent certain new and .usefulIinprovenients in a Dropping Apparatus for Seed-Planting Machines; .and that the following' is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part. ot' this specification, in which- Figure l represents the top side of the under plate. Fig. 2 represents the Linder side of the second or middle plate, and Fig. 3 represents the top side of the middle plate. Fig. Il represents the top side of the upper or top, und Fig. 5 the yunder side ot' said top plate.

Similarletters of reference, where they occur in the several figures, denote like parts in all the drawings. y

The invention of the said THOMAS K. ALEX- ANDER consisted, first, in the combination of an oscillating plate having four seed holes or cells, with an under reci procating plate having two dropping-holes@through it, the four cells alternating with the two delivering or dropping holes.k

The invention further consisted in combining with the upper and under plates a turning button and groovcd or cam switches, for thc purposeof alternately moving and resting the reciprocating under plate, while the upper one oscillates constantly.

The invention further consisted in combinin g with a four-cell oscillating plate, a doublespring cut-ofi, so that each cell shall be allowed to fill and be cleared of theexcess or protruding grains twice for every single delivery therefrom. p

The invention further consisted in combination with the spring cut-off and turned lip thereon, the beveling or gradual ruiming out ot' the tops of the cells, so that the excess or protruding grains may be forced back into tlie hopper without breaking or injuring the grains for planting.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use this invention. I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings.

After much practicalA experience with seed- Apidity of 'their motion, was given to the seedcells to lill and deposit their charges in the delivery-holes or seed-ducts that they often passed half-charged from the hopper or the cells were bridged over by jammed grains, as to make their action very uncertain and very irregular, and he immediately conceived the necessity of giving the cells more time to fill, but at the saine time keeping up the same speed of dropping and of progressive motion ot' the machine over the ground; and this was accomplished by making four seed-cells that would alternate with two dropping-holes, so that the cells had double the time to till and be charged that they had before and the dropping would continue to be the same; and in addition to the cellshaving this increased time for filling, they were made to pass twice into the hopper and twice under the cut-oit' for each single dropping operation, so that they werecertain' to have a regular number of grains in them, and'no more and no less.

The basis ot' this general conception is developed in the patent granted to the said THOMAS KALEXANDER, as the assignee of John Gross, A

dated the Gthof June, 1865, but the said THOMAS K. ALEXANDER simplified and rendered practical this conception, and so improved the mechanical construction to render the machine practical as to make it a highly valuable and useful implement for farming purposes, its regularity and certainty of action making it a reliable machine seed-dropper.

The plate y is set in the bottom ot' the hopper of the seed-planting machine, Itis furnished with pillars or supports a; a', &c., forI supporting the Lipper plate, y, and allowing the middle plate to freely move between the two, and without having the weight of the grain in the hopper upon it. In or on suitable Ways or guides a u upon the top of this under -plate, y', is moved a sliding plate, B, upon which is pivoted a button or switch,- C, which moves until checked astop, 7c, also upon said plate B. Two holes, b b, are made through this reciprocating plate B, for the grain from the cells to drop through when the cells come over said openings.

cis a stud or pin secured to the vunder plate, y upon which the middle plate A is set and oscillated, said middle plate having a? hole, d, to pass over said pin or stud.

Through the plate A is made concentric openings, which terminate. at one of their ends in half-rounds, and into these'concen-tric openings pass from the under side ot' the plate the two concentric arms, D D', which have also at .ne of their ends half-rounds to meet those in the slotsv or openings, the two sets ot' halfi-ounds in each forming a set of round or oval openings for the seed to pass through, which openings can be adjustedv as follows: The arms D are connected to and are a part of a spider that sets over the stud or pin c, andcan, bv neans ot' its arms or projections e and set-sci vs i','be moved so as to enlarge or diminish i-e size ot' said openings. or cells. This adjustn xnt of the holes or vcells in the plate A is the same as-tha-t in the patent above referred to as granted to THOMAS K. ALEXAN- DER, and need not be further referred to here. On top ot this middle oscillating plate A, as seen Fig. 3, the seed-cells terminatein a plane, E, which runs out 011 the plate A. The object 0f these planes E is to allow the cut-offs F, under and past which 'these cells move, to push or brush back the excess of grain without breaking orinjuring them so as to prevent their germinatin g.

On the under side ofthe middle plate A there are cam-ledges T N t, which leave b`etween them 't cam groove or recess, M M, for the button C to work in as the said middle plate is oscillated.

The top plate, y, being adjusted with the 'stud or pino passing up through the hole g and iesting upon the supports x &c., the whole seeding apparatus is in working order.

The spring cut-offs FF on the top plate A havetheirendsz'slightly turned up or rounded oli',.s0 that they shall not, in pushing back the excess of grain from the cells, break or injure them.; The spring cutos and the inclinations or planes E, extending from said cells, together with the turned-upredges 'of the cnt-offs, all aid to allen; the excess of `grain to be swept back without breaking them'or injuring their germinating properties. When these three plates are arrangedin place and the middle one is oscillated by a lever, bar, rod, or any other suitable mechanical devices, the ledge N, coming .against the button G, turns it around against-the stop 7c, and then the ledge T or t,

`as thecase may be,comin g against the button andthe button resting against the stop, causes the plate .B toA move.. The next oscillation of the plate A brings the -ledge N against the button on the opposite of the stop, and svinging the button around txes it in the vmth ot' the other ledge, T or t, as the casermay be, so

` that every half-oscillation of vthe plateA merely fixes thc button in place, so that the other' halfoseillation will shift the plate B in one diriection, forward or back, as the case may be,

but' not both. Thus it will' be perceived that it requires four movementsoi the, plate A to cause two movements of the plate B, because vone-halt' of the movement of B is prevented oscillate over and past the dropping-openingsA b Z,.and it would be obvious that if the hcles b b remained in a xed position the 'cells would till and empty themselves as is universallyT done on machines prior tothe one lherein referred to 5 but by shifting the holes b b by mov ing the plate B, as stated, the dropping will alternate from the cells, as follows Supposin g that the cell 4t has'jnst dropped its charge of gr'ain, the next oscillation ot' the plate A would bring the cell 2 over an opening, and it would drop its charge. The next oscillation of the plate would bring the cell 3 over an opening, and it would drop its charge. The next oscillation of the plate would bring the cell l over an opening, and it would deliver its charge; and While one of. the four holes orcells is dropping the others're being filled and passing into the hopper and past the cut-ofi', and being surely charged with a measuredv quantity ot grain, that is (when its turn cornes) again dropped, and so on. First cell 1 drops its charge, then cell 4 Vdrops its charge, then cell V2, and then cell`3, and so they alternate,fleav ing abundant. time for the 'cells to fill and be brushed oft', so as to have the exact measured quantity, and nomore and'no less.

I have descrlbed a-single hopper arranged with this improved seeding apparatus; Ot'

'course two or vmore may be used; and though runners are regarded as the best for mounting the seeding apparatus and the operatorupon, yet wheels may be used, if so preferred.

Having thus fully described the construction and operation of the machine, What is claimed as the invention of THOMAS K; ALEXANDER l. Thecombination of the oscillating plat A, having four seed-cellsiu it, with the reciprocating plate B, having two delivery-holes in it, for the purpose of alternating the cells with the delivery-holes, substantially as described.

2. In combination with an upper oscillating and an underreciprocating plate, the grooves and cam-proj ections on one and the button and stop on the other, so that four oscillations of the upper plate shall produce but two recipro- V cations' of the under plate, substantially as and ,for'the purpose describe( 3. In combinationwith a four-cell oscillat in'g plate, a (loable sp1-ing eut-off, so that each Without breaking or inj uing them, substam eell shall pass twice into the' hopper and twice tially asset forth. under the cut-off for each and every of its drop- JAMES H ALEX ANDER pm'T operations substantially as aud for the purlos describd Admemstrator qf the estate of Thomas K.

4. In combination with the spring eut-offend Aletmder deceased' turned lip thereon, the sloping out of the tops Witnesses: of the eellsas atE, so that the excess or pro- A.' J. lGALLAGHER, s 'trading-grains maybe swept or brushed back JAMES O. LAKE. 

